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Posts tagged ‘pray’

My joy was gone for about two to three weeks. Not on a vacation. It has been completely non-existent. I didn’t check my personal emails. I went to bed with a heaviness that often resulted in me being woken up in the middle of the night, unable to go back to sleep because of a pounding heart beat.

That feeling of dread often carried over into the morning. I had things I needed to be working on, but I had ZERO desire to do anything.

How did this happen? I’ll tell you. It resulted from me carrying things I had no business carrying. Matthew 6:25-27 reminds us not to worry saying, “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?”

I knew my joy was gone. I hated the way I felt. If my mind and emotions were not in turmoil, I was just in limbo. I wasn’t doing anything to move forward. I KNEW I needed to pray, but I couldn’t. I would read a few Scriptures in the Bible just to get some peace…for the moment. Sometimes I would start quoting the Word with power and authority, but end up in tears.

I KNEW I needed to confess the Word over myself. I knew it, but the circumstances and overwhelming feelings were just too much. I would try to work on things and I would just go in circles, never really accomplishing anything.

I’d had people pray for me. The feelings would lift. Then, my mouth would get me into trouble. It’s like I had an overwhelming urge to say the wrong thing whenever something happened. I am usually never continually negative, but it seemed like nothing was right. I couldn’t write because I didn’t have anything to say. The words weren’t hanging out in my mind. They simply weren’t there.

Finally, I called a friend. I talked to her for five minutes, only sharing a little of what I was feeling. She started praying for me and God showed her almost everything…even things I had thought!

I slept better that night, but the next day was a struggle. Finally, my mom said, “Something’s got to give.” “I know,” I said. “You won’t pray. You used to listen to the Word. I don’t know what you do now.”

“It’s not that I quit listening all together. The sound of anything irritated me. I irritated myself.

Mama and I committed to start praying in tongues thirty minutes every morning. If I couldn’t do it all right then, I took Mama’s advice and prayed when I could, even if that meant just a few minutes at a time.

After a few days, weightiness and heaviness that had been so prevalent lifted. I felt lighter. I wasn’t as irritated. Before I got the breakthrough, each day I had to look for something to be happy about.

When my nephew and cousin came over, I made myself get excited and do silly faces. I told Mama I felt fake doing that, but she said, “Sometimes, you have to fake it until you make it.”

If things seem bad right now, they won’t stay that way. LIFT UP YOUR HEAD! Turn your eyes to Jesus! I promise you He’s there. The enemy wants to convince you that he’s won this round. He wants you to stay down. I am encouraging you to GET UP! With God, all things are possible! All you have to do is make a choice to let God be God! He’s got this!

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A doctor can show us ways to examine ourselves. The purpose of this is to make sure nothing is growing that could harm us. It is wise of us to practice this. We have the ability to do the same with our spiritual well-being. Even after walking with the Lord for years, this is still important.

In the natural, there can be problems growing in our bodies that left unchecked can cause serious effects, or even death. The same can be said for our spiritual walk. We may develop habits, mindsets, or attitudes that can produce harm or spiritually deadly consequences. In the natural, a doctor will use different tools to be more effective in the examination process.

God has given us spiritual tools to use. He places mature Christians in our lives to mentor us. A wise mentor can tell us the truth about ourselves in love. If you don’t have a mentor, pray and ask God to provide such a person. We have been given the precious Word of God. Its pages are filled with ways for us to examine ourselves. I am grateful for Holy Spirit. He will guide, direct, and teach us. I have felt His nudge in my life many times. He is our ever-present friend and mentor.

Sometimes, it seems we are quick to examine others. We may not be as fast to judge ourselves. There are times when we need the discernment to judge, there should always be a balance. I feel there is safety in being part of a church that moves in the five-fold ministry. I have found that leadership is much more qualified to examine others than I am. Our church is in Seeking Time, which is a time that we set aside each year to pray and fast as we wait on God’s direction. During this time, I am asking God to help me see areas in my life that need to be dealt with. As He reveals these to me, I will use the Word, Holy Spirit, and five-fold ministry to help me become more spiritually healthy. Could it be time for your exam?

~ 2 Corinthians 13:5 “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”

I read something in a book called God Calling a few weeks ago, and I wanted to share it with you. This book is written as if God is talking to you, so keep that in mind while reading.

It says, “You must pray. The way will open. God cares and His plans unfold. Just love and wait.

Love is the key. No door is too difficult for it to open.

What cause have you to fear? Has He not cared for and protected you? Hope on. Hope gladly. Hope with certainty. Be calm. Calm in My Power.

Never neglect these times, pray and read your Bible and train and discipline yourself. That is your work—Mine to use you. But My instruments must be sharp and ready. Then I use them.

Discipline and perfect yourselves at all costs. Do this for soon every fleeting thought will be answered, every wish gratified, every deed used. It is a fearful Power, a mighty Power. Oh! Be careful that you ask nothing amiss—nothing that is not according to My Spirit.

All thoughts harmful must be turned out. Miracle-working power can become witchery in wrong hands. See how necessary I have made the purity of your own lives to you. That is why. Soon, very soon, you shall ask and at once it will come. Welcome the training. Without it I dare not give you this Power. It would do harm.”

Preparation time is not wasted time. We have heard that phrase, but help it sink deep into our hearts. Lord, help us to not neglect spending time in Your Word. Purify our mouths. Cleanse us from all filth. We admit we have let other things take priority over you. Help us to put everything else aside because we know You have need of us. Help us remember that it is a process – one that can’t be hurried. The pain is a necessary part of the sharpening. We want to be sharp and ready so we can be used effectively for Your Kingdom. A dull knife never did anyone any good.

In Luke 22, Jesus told His disciples, “Pray that you will not give in to temptation.”

Jesus was suffering. He knew the cup that He was to drink from. He knew it would not be easy. The Word says, “He prayed, and an angel came and strengthened Him”

Even then He prayed more fervently. His sweat was like drops of blood. Can you even imagine what He was going through mentally, emotionally, and physically?

Let’s take this to another level. All around us people are suffering. war is going on. Children, women, and men are being abused.

Does it hurt you? It hurts me. It hurts God, too.

We must awaken, and be on alert.

Jesus went back and found His disciples asleep, exhausted from grief.

“Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation.”

As disciples of Christ we must shake ourselves and pray. Is it easy? No, it’s not! If it were easy everyone would be doing it. It’s not easy on our flesh, but we must think about it this way. If we don’t do it, who will?

God gave us the authority on earth. We must use what He’s given us. We have also been given revelation of His Kingdom.

In His Word it says, “When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.”

Others are counting on us. I challenge you today to put Him first every day. Let Him pray through you the way He wants to.